Justice for Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind is a recently published collection of essays that highlights the achievements and aspirations of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a significant cultural figure and political activist who championed Black unity and economic independence. The book is primarily framed around the government conspiracy that led to his fall: in 1923, Garvey was wrongfully convicted of mail fraud and sentenced to five years in prison. Edited by his son, Dr. Julius Garvey, a retired cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, the collection includes narratives and strategies to convince officials to grant his father’s posthumous pardon. Contributors include Goulda Downer, president of the Caribbean-American Political Action Committee; W. Paul Coates, publisher of Black Classic Press; Haki Madhubuti, publisher of Third World Press; Nkechi Taifa, a civil and human rights attorney; Justin Hansford, professor at Howard University School of Law; Lynda R. Edwards, a novelist; and other notable activists.

Leading the commentary, an informative foreword by best-selling author Ta-Nehisi Coates spotlights Garvey’s enduring vision: “Garvey’s legacy, for me, challenges the narrative of what Black folks are to a society that tries to reduce us to the subhuman. From Garvey I keep going back to this idea of a counter narrative. That’s what lasts for me. The very notion of Black folks wearing their hair natural, all that, is Garvey. It all stems from the idea that you don’t have to be ashamed of who you are and how you look. Garvey’s ideas are what we take into a world where people wear natural hair as a normal thing. But people had to struggle for that. We are still struggling for that right. Our struggle is very much rooted in Garvey. He birthed all that.”

In the introduction, Dr. Julius Garvey reflects on his father’s death at age 52 on June 10, 1940, and his many accomplishments, including his leadership of the Pan-African and Black nationalist movements in the U.S. He highlights Garvey’s founding of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) in 1914 in Kingston, Jamaica, and its newspaper, The Negro World, which became the largest Black weekly in America. At its height, the UNIA-ACL had a membership between six and eleven million, with divisions in forty countries. Garvey’s principles of unity, self-reliance, education, and culture significantly influenced movements like the Harlem Renaissance, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Power movement.

The book is divided into four sections: “The Exoneration Effort and Why,” “Wrongful Conviction, Grave Justice,” “Garvey’s Activism in Jamaica,” and “Garvey Lives.” The theme of “Justice for Garvey” has persisted since his conviction in 1923. Efforts for his exoneration include appeals by former Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga to President Reagan, legislation introduced by Charles Rangel of the Congressional Black Caucus, and recent petitions by New York Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and colleagues to President Biden.

Highlighted in the book is “The Global Garvey Exoneration Effort” by Goulda Downer, which includes a draft of the pardon and encourages supporters to write to their legislators. Insights from Black publishers such as Wade Hudson of Just Us Books and Ramunda Lark Young of Mahogany Books further emphasize Garvey’s publishing legacy. Essays also explore the rivalry between Garvey and W. E. B. Du Bois and their differing views on integration and equality.

Penetrating analyses by legal experts Justin Hansford and Anthony Pierce detail the conspiracy behind Garvey’s conviction. FBI agents infiltrated his organization, fabricated evidence, and ultimately succeeded in securing a conviction through an all-white jury.

Justice for Marcus Garvey is more than a tribute anthology. It is a comprehensive resource documenting Garvey’s rich legacy and the ongoing efforts to right a historical wrong. The essays shed light on his indomitable spirit, his enduring influence, and the importance of remembering history to inspire future generations.